The 31st Scroll: Into the Depths

[Gamemaster]

Interlude

Unable to sleep, Jamilia summoned Husar to her room and asked for a tale. "What tale shall it be?" asked the elder, kneeling beside his niece's bed. "The djinni who tricked the moon? The fish who . . . "

"No, no, Uncle," said Jamilia. "I want a frightening tale!"

"A frightening tale? But will not such a tale disturb your dreams?"

"I am not a child," said Jamilia indignantly. "I am twelve years old."

"Very well, then," said Husar. "Listen: In another world where men are not welcome, there exists the City of Brass, a place of golden castles and streets of gleaming metal. But those who dwell there are dark of heart, a vile assembly of monsters and killers. The cruelest of all is the ruler, the Sultan of the Efreet, known also as the Lord of Flame, the Potentate Incandescent, and the Tempering and Eternal Flame of Truth. Beneath him serves a court of fiends, none more fearsome than the noble efreet.

"The noble efreet are hulking abominations with hair of brass and skin the color of basalt. They employ betrayal and murder to further their ambitions."

Jamilia pulled the sheets to her chin.

Husar continued. "In an age before men worshiped the righteous gods, one of the Sultan's servitors, a noble efreeti named Ahz'ahk with crimson horns and eyes like blazing coals, grew discontent with his lot. Aware of his servitor's displeasure, the Sultan summoned Ahz'ahk to an iron chamber in the center of his palace.

"'Speak freely,' said the Sultan. 'I would know of your distress.'

"'It is that I have so little,' said Ahz'ahk, 'while you have so much. Compared to you, my wealth is trivial, my power insignificant. And . . . ' The efreeti hesitated.

"'Speak!' boomed the Sultan.

"'And so many brides. Many, many brides. I wish these things for myself.'

"'I appreciate your candor,' said the Sultan. 'I will relieve you of your torment by removing you from its source.'

"'No, Sultan!' cried the efreeti. 'I did not mean--'

"'You want what I possess? Then I will give you the opportunity to acquire it yourself.' And with a wave of the Sultan's hand, the efreeti was wrenched from the City of Brass and cast into the Pit of the Ghuls.

"Ahz'ahk slept for a hundred and one years. When he awoke, he found that he could not return to the City of the Brass.

Condemned to spend eternity in the Pit of the Ghuls, he set out to build his own kingdom. He constructed a palace of unimaginable splendor. He stocked it with servitors, fellow exiles from the Plane of Fire. And as for his brides--"

Husar looked at his niece. She was fast asleep. He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Rest well, my child," he whispered. "The end of the tale will wait for another day."

[Gamemaster]

Afternoon, 6th of Dar
You thought you were prepared. Those who'd gone before you had stepped into the glowing sand and faded soundlessly from view. You stepped into nothingness, falling, green flames flaring, enveloping you-- blistering flames. Drawing a breath to scream, the flames fill your lungs. Nothingness.
You awoke in a dark granite cave next to a pit of green sand. The air was as hot and dry. Somewhere nearby a steady roar as of a fast flowing river. The cavern was illuminated as if by an unseen fire.
A jagged tear in the south wall opened to a short passage. The passage was abrupty bisected by a raging river of fire. Here you stand. On the far side, too far for a mortal man to leap, the passage continues beneath an ivory arch bearing an onyx image: a cruel face crowned with two curved horns and a gnashing mouth of fangs.
"If I wasn't so afraid, I'd be terrified." Waleed whispered to Mamoun, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Stay close and have your blade at the ready." Waleed drew out his borrowed scimitar and waited for someone else to lead the way.
Keesha looks around trying to find a way to cross that path as she smiles to Waleed "ohh come on, you didn’t expect this to be a field full of flowers did ya? Now, there must be a way around here.. or perhaps a hidden bridge lets look for it"
Waleed could only sarcastically smile back. He was sure the Ajami sorceress had absolutely no idea as to the danger they were all in. Their only hope was to find Sita and escape before raising the attention of Ahz'ahk. If they did encounter the ruler of this place, all was lost, under no circumstances could anyone here delude themselves into thinking they stood any chance against the powerful Genie face to face.
Every muscle in the desert-rider's body seems tense as he gazes across the river of fire at the carved face of the efreet leering at him. It is hard to read his eyes, but you would swear that the al-Badian is caught somewhere between rage and fear.
"Yes, there must be a bridge of some sort." he agrees tensely. "Sita and His other mortal brides could not have crossed this otherwise. Unless..." He peers oddly at the raging torrent of flame before him and a takes a cautious step towards it.
Raising an arm to bar his way, Ya'qub says softly, "Hold, Ahamr..."
Then reaching down, he gathers up some of the green sand and scatters it across the chasm in front of the arch.
The sand drifts into the torrent and is swept away.
Ahmar approached the edge. Molten earth flowed by with crowns of flame dancing up as if trying to take wing and fly away. The ledge he stood on was only a few feet above the flow. Below the ledge was anchored a long copper tube. He reached down and quickly pulled something from it--but not before the flames caught on the sleeves of his robes. Tossing the item toward the others, he quickly patted out the fire on his robe.
Before you lies a partially unrolled rug of black silk. The rug is emblazoned with face of Ahz'ahk.
"It seems this is our way across," Ahmar suggests looking down at the carpet. "If we can learn how to use it."
Ahmar carefully begins to unroll the carpet to its full length being particularly attentive to any other markings or embroidery, which may indicate how to use it.
Before long it becomes obvious that the rug is very long. Likely long enough to stretch across the flaming river. Instructions would not be required- the silk rug begins to hover as it is unrolled. Khafaz placed first one boot, then the other on the unrolled section. It held his weight. He stepped down.
Ahmar quickly steps behind Khafaz not wanting to be upstaged by the opportunistic merchant. "Now would be a good time to employ whatever stealth magics you might have." he says turning to Keesha
Waleed said, still in a hushed voice, "Let us make haste and cross. The sooner we find Sita, the sooner we can leave."
Ahmar slowly nods in agreement as if in a trance and continues behind Khafaz.
"Indeed, lets move quickly.. I am not sure how much helpful would that be but if you wish so.." and as she finishes speaking she moves her fingers to her mouth, signaling them to stay quiet.

[Gamemaster]

Ahmar pushes his way past Khafaz and walks boldly across the carpet, his fixed on the sculpture before him.
Pulling out the jellaba, Ya'qub gingerly puts the cloak on over his shoulders.
The heat rising from the river was nearly unbearable. You hastened across the soft path, your fear of falling checking your desire to launch into a run to the other side. Once there, you pause momentarily to stare at the glaring onyx image of Ahz'ahk. What master craftsman had managed to capture such hatred that it seemed to be personally directed at you?
Stepping into the rough stone passage you're hit with an odor of rot and charred wood. All is quiet. The passage is wide and tall--twice that of a man. Once beyond the entryway the passage loses its reddish hue from the flaming river and takes on a green glow. The source of this is stone troughs lining the passageway at irregular intervals. Liquid fire, green and thich as lava, bubbles in the troughs, radiating heat.
A few steps in and you encounter a side passage on your right. A furtive glance down it reveals a room at the end of a short passageway, and another passageway leading deeper into the home of this efreeti. The room is not empty. It bustles with activity. At least six figures are in the room, all wearing heavy robes or burqas. Polished black marble tile shines in contrast to this bare rock passageway.
Somewhere up ahead, a heavy rumbling as of falling stone.
The main passage continues forward, ending a short distance ahead at an intersection, but before it, on the left a passage leads to another marble tiled room. From it drifts a powerful smell of sulfur and lemons. A glance inside reveals large copper containers.
No one is seen.
A distant scream. A pop of bubbling green lava.
Waleed whispers, "Sita is supposed to be in a burqa. if we question those six figures back there, maybe they can help us. If anything, at least we can take their burqa's and stay incognito while we search down here."
Keesha whispers back "I could try to make them sleep... but you can forget about any incognito effect if it doesn't work out" with that she looks to her companions for an affirmative nod.
"We need to know how many are in that room," Ahmar whispers. "And whether they are guarded." He pauses a moment in thought. "With your silent footfalls and Ya'qub's jellaba, could you sneak in there unseen and unheard?"
Smiles signalling Amir to quiet and extends her hand to Ya'qub in order to fetch the jellaba with a soft gesture, asking for it without words.
After she catches it properly she steps forward very softly towards the room, trying to catch a glimpse of the figures inside it as well as their numbers from the outside without being seen or heard.
"I'd be curious to know what's in those." Ahmar says quietly indicating the copper containers in the opposite passage.
"Then lets go check it out." Waleed whispered as he motioned to the room, then started quietly sneaking toward the room intent on looking inside one of the copper containers.
Ahmar hesitates for a moment astonished by Waleed's impulsiveness. He looks first at the passage down which Keesha crept and then slinks himself towards the chamber of the copper urns.
Keesha looks back at her companions moving and gives them an angry look, only turning it into a soft grin as she sees that her previous chameleon spell did worked and that they are blending with the surrounding walls at least. Afterwards she makes sure Amir sees her and motions to him to hold there, in sight in case someone sees her. With that she focusses on watching inside the room, very slowly trying to hold still to avoid being seen or heard.

[Gamemaster]

Peering into the room Keesha saw six women in identical black wool abas and black silk burqas sitting against a wall. They were sewing abas and burqas, tearing strips of black cloth with their long fingernails, then stitching them together with silver needles. The tips of their pale fingers where painted red; a mark of subservience.
Dozens of completed abas and burqas hung from copper hooks.
Standing over them, with her back to Keesha, was another woman. She wore the same black outfit but her hands were intricately painted with henna and adorned with silver rings set with turquoise. Colorful bracelets encircled her wrists.
Something was odd about the woman, Keesha noticed... moving a little closer she glanced down the passageway that stood next to the entrace of the room. It was empty, quickly curving out of sight.
From her new vantage point she could see the women all had very long fingers, each ending in long pointed nails. She did a quick count. Five fingers on each hand--the strange Ku had six.
The woman standing walked across the black marble floor to examine a finished aba. Her footfalls were as a horse on cobblestones.
Keesha slipped into the passageway to get a look at the other side of the room. There, two women with red-tipped fingers groomed a woman who lay on a ornate marble table. Keesha couldn't see the prone woman as the women administering to her stood over combing her long black hair and working in a blue oil from a copper bowl. The brush looked to be the rib cage of a small animal.
Waleed and Ahmar slipped closer to the room while the others waited nearby. As they cautiously approached, the smell of sulfur and lemons grew stronger, drifting from the entrance of the chamber. Black marble tiles covered the walls, floor and ceiling. Along two walls where 10 copper containers, each similair in size and shape to a coffin. The container lids were open but without entering the room, they where unable to see the contents.
Against another wall stood two barrels, a round tub, and a tall cabinet- all made of beaten copper. Unlit copper incense burners stood in each corner.
Ahmar gives Waleed a quizzical look and shrugs his shoulders. He pauses for a moment examining how effective Keesha's magic is at hiding his companion. Satisfied there are no occupants in the room, Ahmar cautiously inches forwards towards the open "coffins".
Waleed nodded without saying a thing, his look of 'Yes, it's dangerous, you go first' needed no words to explain it.
Ahmar's glance at Waleed was sufficient to ensure him they where indeed blending in very well. He could spot Waleed easy enough, it was hard to "unsee" something, but a distant observer would have a hard time spotting a motionless Waleed.
Another rumble of falling stone in the distance.
The ten copper containers where empty. One of the barrels contained sulfur the other a lemon scented incense. The tub held a powdered red metal similar to iron. The cabinet contained rolls of black silk.
"I fear to think what this room is used for." Ahmar whispers with a shudder. "Let's see how Keesha is faring."
Waleed again said nothing, but made a motion with his chin towards the room Ahmar just exited and then made a throat slitting motion with his finger.
Waleed then caautiously fell in step behind Ahmar, always looking here and there for an ambush. That and to make sure Mamoun was still with him and doing well.

[Gamemaster]

After a brief moment, Waleed pulled Ahmar aside and whispered in his ear, "I think where the sound of rumbling is emanating from, is where we will find Sita. In A'lai's vision we saw her picking up rubble so that is where she most likely is, but I'm sure you've already thought the same thing. What we need to do is confront these six women in the other room and disguise ourselves in their robes or burqa's, either willingly or not." With this last statement, Waleed raises his borrowed scimitar.
"You may be right," Ahmar says raising his hand in a slight gesture of warning. "But let's see what Keesha has discovered first."
Slowly, she moves backwards towards her companions and tells them about the woman in the room.
"Those seem to be the "brides".. we can surely not hurt them! I say we try to turn them to sleep and then see how to move forward - but I am not going with the idea unless you agree not to hurt them" With that she looks suspiciously at Waleed's scimitar.
"You assume too much Keesha," Waleed whispers back. "These 'Brides' may fight tooth and nail to alert their master and we cannot allow that or all is lost. Try your spell of sleeping, but if it does not work and these women assail us or try to alert their master, my sword hand cannot be held in abeyance."
A distant scream tumbles down the passage where Keesha had stood moments before. It was cut abruptly short.
"Could any of them have been Sita?" Ahmar wonders aloud. "It might be best to have them awake so we could question them. That would also make them easier to rescue."
Hearing the scream she motions towards the passage to see what is going on, quietly, while making a sign with her hand to her companions to stand by nearby. As she approaches, she starts searching in her mind for the required gestures of the sleep spell.
"Someone has been sacrificed," Waleed said with a grim look on his face, "while we stand here and banter about what to do. I shall show you what needs to be done." Waleed rushed forth into the room Keesha just scouted out and brandished his scimitar.
"Hear me women. Do not make a sound, do not move, or you will face a death worse than what your master can already give you. I have questions and they will be answered." His lips pulled back in a snarl, Waleed awaited their reaction to his threat. He was not about to let any of them cry out to alert their master and his scimitar wavered slowly in front of him, ready to slay the first that moved.
With a curse muttered under his breath Ahmar dashes after his hasty companion...
"What!..." then Keesha looks into the room, hoping the women react peacefully and holding her sleep spell in preparation to finish it up and release it at the sign of any violence.
Staying as close to the walls (and hopefully the shadows) as possible, Ya'qub moves as silently as he can, seeking to enter the room unnoticed while the women are focused on the others as they charge the room. As seems to be the case far too often lately, he thinks to himself, one hand is on the hilt of his dagger, the other reaching for the necklace...
The women on the floor dropped their work and cowered, moaning and covering their eyes. The one who stood over them spun with a hiss.
The two standing at the table cried out in fear then fell to the floor moaning- the woman they'd been grooming sat up with a hiss, clawing at the air with her long, sharp nails. She swung her feet around and dropped to the floor with a loud Clack! She had cloven hooves. She had thick hair and bushy eyebrows that drooped over her eyes. Her jutting jaw was powerfully muscled, her pale white skin glistened and looked cold and clammy in the pale green light.
"Do not harm her!" Ahmar hisses raising his scimitar to block Waleed's blade. "Keesha! Your spell of holding!"
Keesha cast her spell, confident in its success, but nothing happened. The woman continued hissing, clawing and moaning.

[Gamemaster]

"Do you have any other means of restraining her?" Ahmar asks Keesha as he braces himself for an attack. "Quickly!" he says to the women in the room. "Are any of you called Sita?"
Waleed raised his scimitar out of Ahmar's way and held it poised to strike. "Harpies! Kneel to your new master or face death at our hands!" Waleed was ready to kill, his face betrayed no hint of remorse or hesitation because there was none.
The moaning continues. No one replies. Like two stray cats cornered by a pack of dogs, the two creatures are hissing and clawing--not approaching, but not retreating.
Keesha looks at the creatures puzzled, knowing that she cast the spell correctly.. trying to understand whether they are non human or whether there are some magic around them preventing the spell to work.
In response to this heightened aggression the creatures begin to shriek, baring their long, yellowed teeth and crouching as if to pounce.
"Dammit, women!" Not taking his eyes off of the Harpies, but addressing the cowering women. "Are any of you four women, Sita? Or do you know a Sita?" Time was growing short and he knew this was going to end badly if this stalemate continued.
"Keesha!" Ahmar cries. "Make us silent!" Without waiting for her reply he launches forward to attack the nearest she-devil.
Waleed, followed by Mamoun, followed suit and attacked the other Harpy.
"Master!" Mamoun cried, pointing at the women on the floor. Jutting from the robes of several where cloven hooves.
Alarmed by Amir's reaction she starts moving her hands quickly and then moves her hands to her lips.
Suddenly a bowl on the table burst into low flame. Blue smoke began to curl up from it.
Ahmar pauses in mid-rush. "What? Are they all demons?" he cries. "They are not attacking us, but their screams will bring death upon us! Still, if any of them are Sita or other mortal brides..." He trembles in frustration, uncertain of what to do next.
Ahmar may have said more but it was suddenly as quiet as a grave. A heavy silence blanketed the room. Blue smoke curled up and poured along the ceiling.
With a nod to Mamoun, Waleed lunged forward thrusting at the nearest creature. He missed but it was only a feint--Mamoun leapt at the creature, brandishing his dagger wildly. The creature struck out a claw to no avail- Mamoun was out of reach. That's when Waleed brought his scimitar down on the creature's back like a woodcutter on a tree. His silent cry of triumph shone on his face, but only for a moment. The creature spun on him, all snapping teeth and raking claws.
Ahmar's stroke was stopped short by his oppenent's hand. A cold and clammy, impossibly powerful hand. His grunt of surprise was heard by no one as she grabbed him with her other hand and lifted him off the ground. The sleeves of her robes slid back revealing long pale arms that seemed little more than taut muscle stretched over bone. He struggled, eyes wide as he was lifted, realizing that the creature was much taller than it appeared as if it had been hunched in its aba. Then his teeth where grinding and his eyes rolled--electricity coursed through the creature and into him causing his muscles to spasm out of control. With great effort he kicked himself free and stumbled back, scimitar raised defensively. The creature glared at him hatefully through the slit of its burqa.
Waleed was ready when the creature charged him. At the last possible moment he dropped to a knee and thrust his scimitar into the creature's belly. With satisfaction he watched the blade raise a small tent in back of creature's aba then silently pierce through.
As quickly and silently as possible, Ya'qub picks up the bowl of burning oil and flings it toward the creature holding Ahmar.

[Gamemaster]

Having finished off his opponent and seeing Ya'qub attack the stronger Harpy, Waleed moved back with Mamoun so as not to get splashed by the burning liquid and looked to Ahmar for a sign of when to join him in the attack.
A rooster tail of flame spilled from the bowl Ya'qub hurled at the creature hidden beneath the burqa. Ya'qub would never be sure--poor throw or if the creature dodged but the bowl sailed past and hit the wall behind it. Suddenly Ya'qub faced a silent, charging foe, towering over him with grasping claws and hateful eyes. In the surreal moment before he raised his dagger in defense he saw a single flame flicker on her shoulder- no doubt a single drop of oil, no different than the thousands that had fallen on the huddled women on the floor.
So confident was Waleed that as soon as he tore his scimitar free he turned to aid his companions. Fortunately he caught the look of terror and silent scream on the lips of Mamoun. Waleed spun, scimitar slicing robes and flesh in a reaction surely guided by fate's hand. Time stretched for Waleed, his mind now outpacing his body. His eyes registered the flaming bowl striking the wall and the flames raining down, but it was a distant reality far removed from his own. Even as his sword arm rose to fend off the creature, he stared at the wound he'd delivered--sliced white flesh revealed in the torn robe. The wound was closing as if stitched by unseen hands. Waleed recalled a teacher who been found dead in Hiyal cemetary--the marrow sucked from his bones.
The teacher's research notes spoke of undead elemental cousins of the genies, the most wicked members of an inferior order of jann. Said to haunt burial grounds and feed on dead human bodies. Usually female; all are beguiling and seductive shapechangers. No matter what form they take, their feet remain those of a donkey, though they often wear special boots or long robes to conceal this aberration.
Apparently, the teacher hoped to study the creature's ability to rapidly heal from wounds... his final notes spoke of their delight in devouring the flesh of their victims and then sucking the marrow from their bones.
Ghuls.
In that instant the reality of the situation came to bear on him. They were going to reheal all their wounds if they weren't completely hacked to bits, even the first Ghul he had dispatched would eventually rise.
Grim determination, no longer the smile of confident youth, adorned Waleed's face as he sought to save himself and those around him from this hideous creature.
Looking at her companions difficulties in dealing with the creatures, she focuses her energies and moves her hands frenetically in rapid succession and then points them towards Waleed and Amir, hoping they will be able to attack them quicker and gain an advantage in battle.
Keesha felt the familiar flow of energy, but she wasn't sure just how effective the spell would be without its verbal component. Perhaps its effect would be weakened or have a shortened duration. Regardless, it seems to be working.
With his dagger Ya'qub slashed violently at the veiled woman who'd only seconds before thrown Ahmar to the ground. Once, twice, three times he slashed, his perpetual smile gone--in its place a determined grimace. Then her cold hand had him by the wrist. In that momentary touch a surge of energy passed between them sending Ya'qub to his knees.
A flare of light, then another. She spun in a whirl of black robes, releasing Ya'qub and facing Ahmar who'd arisen behind her. Flames began climbing the length of his scimitars.
Grim determination, no longer the smile of confident youth, adorned Waleed's face as he sought to save himself and those around him from this hideous creature.

[Gamemaster]

Fate continued to shine on Waleed. He was aware of Ya'qub facing off with the veiled ghul, but could not come to his aid just yet. With Mamoun's assistance Waleed harried his enemy mercilessly, thrusting and slashing. Again his scimitar met flesh, this time a deep gash in the leg that dropped the ghul to one knee. In that moment's pause as he raised his blade to strike again he took in the chaos around him.
The other women where fleeing the room, some of them with flames climbing their robes. Out the room they went past Keesha and crashing into Khafaz and Turin.
Then Waleed brought his sword down with both hands. His enemy collapsed, arms splayed. Then it began to pull its legs beneath it. It was trying to stand.
"Damn the cruel winds of fate!" Waleed yelled, but no words could be heard with Keesha's spell still in effect. In the eerie silence of mortal combat, Waleed curled his lip and swung once more at his undying foe.
Looking at the women? fleeing she moves outside the room and making sure she is outside the silence area she starts casting a spell to slow them down, trying to make sure her spell is general enough to catch woman or undead alike. She concentrates fully in the spell and hopes that with some luck she is able to catch them all.
"Khafaz, Turin.. if they freeze help those women or whatever they are to turn out the fire on their robes! ... but be careful they might not be friendly!"
Ya'qub fingered one of the globes on his necklace. He tried to warn the others to escape as quickly as they could, but when no sound came out of his mouth, he realized in time that his plan would be useless. Still holding his dagger, he quickly looked around the chamber to reassess his options.
Now that she was outside the silenced room, a flood of sound hit Keesha. The muted roar of the fiery river, the moans and cries of the fleeing women. Amid them stood Khafaz and Turin, slowly raising their hands high above their heads. Keesha didn't see Ahmar nearly get knocked down by the ghul he battled behind her, but she did see the half-serpent of the oasis tomb standing behind Turin, spear leveled at his back. Then her shock lessened and she realized it bore only the slightest resemblance. And there were two, no three...
Copper-colored, they were human-like from the waist up. Their fluorescent green eyes glared from behind flaming beards and moustaches. They all carried a shiny metal spear, resembling highly polished steel. The lower torso was that of a large snake, with orange coloring shading to dull red at the tail end. Their entire bodies were covered with wispy appendages that appeared to burn fitfully.
The burqa covered women ran past the newcomers wailing. The ghuls in the room shrunk back defensively, clawing the air and glaring with hatefilled eyes.
"What manner of fools wanders the halls of Ahz'ahk's palace? " the largest of the newcomers called out in heavily accented zakharan. A gesture and a sound like flame dancing up a metal stovepipe. The silence in the room ended abruptly. It laughed aloud, flames gouting in little bursts from the wide grin on his hawkish face. "Freeze me but the hag Ugaq must be dead or missing." As the other two stared on with what was clearly suspicion, the largest studied the group.